ST.
PATRICK'S DAY ORIGINS
The person who was to become St. Patrick, the patron
saint of Ireland, was born in Wales about AD 385. His
given name was Maewyn, and he almost didn't get the job
of bishop of Ireland because he lacked the required
scholarship.

Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered
himself a pagan. At that age, he was sold into slavery
by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village.
During his captivity, he became closer to God.

He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul
where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain,
bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During
his training he became aware that his calling was to
convert the pagans to Christianity.

His wishes were to return to Ireland, to convert the
native pagans to Christianity. But his superiors instead
appointed St. Palladius. But two years later, Palladius
transferred to Scotland. Patrick, having adopted that
Christian name earlier, was then appointed as second
bishop to Ireland.

Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And
this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested
several times, but escaped each time. He traveled
throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the
country. He also set up schools and churches which would
aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to
Christianity.

His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After
that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on
March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as
St. Patrick's Day ever since.

Much Irish folklore surrounds St. Patrick's Day. Not
much of it is actually substantiated.

Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick
raised people from the dead. He also is said to have
given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes
from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to
Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for
the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a
Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into
more of a secular holiday.

One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And
this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells
how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain
the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist
as separate elements of the same entity. His followers
adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast
day.

The St. Patrick's Day custom came to America in 1737.
That was the first year St. Patrick's Day was publicly
celebrated in this country, in Boston.

Today, people celebrate the day with parades, wearing of
the green, and drinking beer. One reason St. Patrick's
Day might have become so popular is that it takes place
just a few days before the first day of spring. One
might say it has become the first green of spring.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY — AN
AMERICAN HOLIDAY
The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in
Ireland, but in the United States. Irish soldiers
serving in the English military marched through New York
City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music, the
parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their Irish
roots, as well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English
army. Over the next thirty-five years, Irish patriotism
among American immigrants flourished, prompting the rise
of so-called "Irish Aid" societies, like the Friendly
Sons of Saint Patrick and the Hibernian Society. Each
group would hold annual parades featuring bagpipes
(which actually first became popular in the Scottish and
British armies) and drums.

Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all
backgrounds in the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Although North America is home to the largest
productions, St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in
other locations far from Ireland, including Japan,
Singapore, and Russia.

In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick's Day has
traditionally been a religious occasion. In fact, up
until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed
on March 17. Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish
government began a national campaign to use St.
Patrick's Day as an opportunity to drive tourism and
showcase Ireland to the rest of the world. Last year,
close to one million people took part in Ireland 's St.
Patrick's Festival in Dublin, a multi-day celebration
featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater
productions, and fireworks shows.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY — THE TRADITION CONTINUESToday St. Patrick's Day is
celebrated by millions of "Irishmen" all over the world
get together with friends, share a pitcher of Guinness
or green-dyed Bud Light and make memories to last until
next St. Patrick's Day!